Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, may spend the night under questioning at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over allegations of financial misconduct involving approximately N432 billion.
The Federal Government also filed a three-count charge against El-Rufai for allegedly unlawfully intercepting the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Tensions escalated at EFCC headquarters as pro- and anti-El-Rufai supporters clashed, prompting operatives to fire teargas, which reportedly affected pregnant women and children at the nearby Federal Medical Centre, Jabi.
Witnesses described panic and chaos as patients struggled to breathe and scrambled for safety.
An EFCC source confirmed that El-Rufai was being questioned but could not provide a timeframe for the session. The former governor, who denies any wrongdoing, is being investigated over alleged mismanagement of loans obtained during his tenure in Kaduna State.
Political tensions are high. Opposition figure Umar Sani described El-Rufai’s moves as a strategic effort to challenge the government and expose its weaknesses.
The three-count charge filed by the DSS-led prosecution alleges that on February 13, 2026, El-Rufai admitted during an Arise TV interview that he and associates unlawfully intercepted the NSA’s phone communications, in violation of Sections 12(1) and 27(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
El-Rufai’s earlier resistance to arrest at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport heightened tensions over the probe, with no court date yet set for his arraignment.
The EFCC has not issued an official statement on the protests or the ongoing investigation.
Meanwhile, the deployment of teargas near a hospital has sparked renewed concern over public safety and the handling of political demonstrations in Abuja.